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Background

Bretton Woods Project Coordinator vacancy

13 May 2014 | Recruitment

Interested in running a key international network which monitors and advocates for reform of the IFIs? Your in-depth understanding of global policy issues and passion for creating change make you ideal for this role as Coordinator of the Bretton Woods Project. You will have extensive knowledge of the operations, social and environmental consequences and governance of the World Bank and IMF as well as other development finance institutions. This will be supported by an excellent understanding of current global political, environmental, social and economic policy debates. As Coordinator you will lead the Project’s management team to facilitate strategic decisions about which issues we should focus on. You will enjoy a wide ranging remit from conducting research and producing high-quality information to doing advocacy with top level officials and providing advice to network members. In your leadership role you will recruit, manage and motivate Project staff as well as maintain relations with key network partners. Important too will be the ability to act as the Project’s public face, giving talks and managing the occasional media work. The successful candidate will have a thorough knowledge of global development issues, a passion for creating change, excellent management skills and an ability to think strategically and influence diplomatically.

We are aiming to have first round interviews on 17 June 2014; with second round interviews, if needed, likely on 20 June or 23 June. Candidates without the right to work in the UK will not be considered.

Start date:

As soon as possible

Key contacts:

Bretton Woods Project colleagues
NGOs, social movements, and other civil society organisations in our UK, European and international networks
Parliamentarians and public officials in the UK, Europe, and at the international financial institutions (IFIs)
Academics and other researchers
Journalists and the media

Reporting to:

Bretton Woods Project steering group

Bretton Woods Project job profile: Coordinator

A. About the Bretton Woods Project

The Bretton Woods Project envisions a global economic system that operates on the primary principles of justice, equity, human rights and environmental sustainability, with international institutions that are democratic, transparent, accountable, and responsive to the poorest and most vulnerable citizens.

The project focuses on the World Bank and the IMF to challenge their power, open policy space, and promote alternative approaches. We do this because these institutions are influential funders, proponents and enforcers of economic and development policies, and global opinion formers.

We serve as an information provider, watchdog, networker and advocate. We provide information for the benefit of civil society groups, official institutions, research institutes, governments and parliaments across the world. The project acts as a network hub in the UK and works with civil society – in Europe and internationally – to change the Bank and the Fund.

B. Role Purpose

To coordinate and oversee the work of the Bretton Woods Project, a key national, regional and international network hub on international financial institutions and development finance. This includes facilitating strategic decisions about which issues and outputs the Project should focus on; planning, contributing to, and editing the Project’s written outputs; conducting research and advocacy; giving talks; providing strategic advice to and galvanising action amongst network members. It also involves recruiting, managing and motivating Project staff, liaising with the Project’s steering group, maintaining relations with key network partners and officials and taking lead responsibility for fund-raising and financial reporting. The Coordinator is an equal member of the Project’s three-person management team. The Coordinator must present the public face of Bretton Woods Project, be an effective public speaker and do occasional media work.

This role requires a strong understanding of global policy issues, a passion for creating change, the ability to work effectively and diplomatically with a network of diverse civil society groups and with officials. Bretton Woods Project needs a Coordinator who can lead a small organisation, maintain and build on the strong network and reputation it has built up, while contributing their ideas to the team.

C. Key accountabilities

1) To coordinate the Bretton Woods Project. Working with the Project’s management team, this involves:

Managing staff and conducting recruitment;

Coordinating the work of the team and ensuring a high quality of output;

Leading team meetings and network meetings to strategise and plan;

Coordinating the production of the team work plan and ensuring that it is effectively delivered;

Budget management, including making and approving spending decisions;

Overseeing the production of funding proposals and of reports to funders, and being responsible for the financial stability of the project; and

Managing the Project’s relationship with its steering group.

2) To lead research and advocacy on one or two priority areas for the Project:

Research, policy analysis and writing;

Advocacy and supporting campaigning by other groups; and

Alliance building.

3) To oversee and contribute to the production of high-quality written outputs:

Planning, overseeing and editing the Project’s regular publications, reports, briefings and website; and

Researching and writing reports, articles and briefings.

4) To represent the Bretton Woods Project externally:

Presenting at meetings, including to ministers, officials, parliamentarians, academics the media, activists and NGOs;

Chairing NGO and official meetings; and

Briefing and advocating to journalists, officials, politicians and others.

5) To develop and maintain partnerships for effective advocacy collaboration with other organisations and networks. This will include:

Encouraging other organisations to work actively on the World Bank and IMF;

Providing strategic advice to civil society groups about how they can most effectively conduct advocacy relating to the World Bank and IMF;

Making presentations on complex issues to a range of audiences, including officials, parliamentarians, media and/or civil society groups

Desirable

Work in developing countries

Collaborative civil society work with development finance institutions and with groups based in the South

Working with the media

Leading strategic planning processes

Coalition building within civil society networks

3) Skills and abilities

Essential

Demonstrated leadership and team-building skills;

Ability to strategise;

Excellent network skills – including network building, facilitation and leadership – particularly in a political environment;

Clear analysis of complex and controversial issues and ability to select key points;

Strong sense of political strategy;

Excellent oral and written communication skills;

Diplomacy and discretion when dealing with diverse contacts and sensitive information

Ability to travel overseas (up to 2 months per year)

Commitment to social justice, human rights and environmental sustainability

Desirable

Understanding of economic and statistical concepts

Excellent editing skills

Other languages

IT and web skills including content and contact management systems

Application instructions

The deadline for applications is 9 am London time (0800 GMT), Monday 9 June 2014. Please read our application instructions very carefully. Regretfully we are a small organisation and cannot deal with individual requests. All the information you need is here and on our website.

After you have submitted your application we ask that you follow this link to fill in our equal opportunities monitoring form. The Bretton Woods project is an ActionAid-hosted Project. ActionAid is an employer committed to Equal Opportunities.

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you have not heard back from us by 16 June 2014, then you have not been shortlisted. We are aiming to have first round interviews on 17 June 2014, with second round interviews, if needed, likely on 23 June 2014.

The Bretton Woods Project is a UK-based NGO that challenges the World Bank and IMF and promotes alternative approaches. We serve as an information provider, watchdog, networker and advocate. Our flagship publications are the Bretton Woods Observer, a quarterly critical review of developments at the World Bank and IMF, and the Bretton Woods Bulletin, an online update of news and action on the institutions.